Life

Last week I urged those of you who felt that there was more to your existence than you are now experiencing. There truly is more to life than the work-a-day routine consisting of making money, getting ahead, acquiring power or most other things most people do. Those things may or may not happen in your lifetime. Even if they do they will not follow you when you die. God and Jesus are not in the business of preserving what you acquire in this world. What they are about is making you part of the family of God. Have you ever noticed that those who follow Jesus are always involved in service to others and not making themselves greater than those they serve? Jesus promised the paraclete would come to those who followed him. That promise was for any and all who answered His call to repent (turn from the sinful ways of the world) and follow the way of the Lord. It is called walking in the spirit. It is what you feel urging you to seek Him out and follow Him. The amazing fact is that you have a choice to follow or not to follow. No arm twisting or coercion just facts to consider. Believe in Him and the promise of eternal life or not and accept a nonexistence for eternity. Many good people reject Him and believe there is no life after death and accept death as a permanent nothingness. Scripture says that nonbelievers are condemned to the pit of fire not just a nonexistence. The urge to seek Him out is a calling from the Spirit of God to come home to Him and become part of His family. Walk with Him in the Holy Spirit and experience a world that is different than anything you have known before. 

This week is another of the Highlander images. This is by far the best one I have had the privilege of doing. It was challenging on many levels. I asked several people which one to do next and this was the choice.

Notice: The image is mislabeled as Dreams Coloring Art. It is actually Highland Dreams.

The Copic colors used are:

The pen is 0.05 black. The 0 blender pens were used to make corrections and to clean up so areas the bled. This was a mixed media project. The pencils were used where the lines were too fine to do with the Copics. 

That is it for this week. May the good Lord bless and keep you. Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Impressions

 

Life is not a place to slide through without a care. Life is not a place lacking in pain or compassion. Life is not a place where answers are freely available. Life is a place to learn, to grow and change into the spiritual being we were created to be.

          Life    

As the sun sets, so life rises and sets.

The four seasons of life are here,

And in a breath, have passed and gone.

All too short is the beginning of life.

              

The springtime comes and goes

With hardly a noticed breath or glance.

Childhood comes and is but a memory

And is gone before it can be captured.

              

All too soon comes the summer

With all its sudden growth and vigor.

Hardly has it begun than it has passed;

The fun of growing and maturing ended.

              

In the span of a breath autumn is here

And harvest of summer plantings begin.

Memories and happy celebrations

Have matured and come into maturity.

              

Soon winter is here and life slows

To prepare for the coming of spring.

We slow in the winter of our journey

To prepare for the coming journey.

              

Life comes, lingers and passes on

To a newness and fullness unknown.

The birth of a new life in this life

That will bloom for all eternity.

Unheard

              

The night rests in silent stillness,

Awaiting every breath that is drawn

While the earth obeys You patiently

Until You call upon the dawn.

 

Tassels, spires of field grass dance

In rhythm to a windswept song

As thunder roars, lightening flashes,

Adding their voices to the throng.

 

Midnight skies, with diamonds twinkling,

Adorn Your head round about,

Crystal clear as loves sweet whispers,

Honoring You without a doubt.

                                              Trust Me

 

Much suffering and loneliness

Has preceded the finding of new life.

Much has been felt and experienced

Since the surrender to Christ.

No end is in sight for me.

But only death on the cross.

I rejoice in this for life teaches

How to share through life's experiences.

 

I cry out in pain with each stroke

Of life's lash of impersonal tribulations.

Weeping with each passing intermission

With exuberance of spirit and joy of heart.

The bitter taste of salted tears

Lingers on at each place of crucifixion

As the life of my old ways slip away

And the freshness of new life settles in.

 

As surely as the nails of Christ

Pierced His hands and feet through,

Affixing Him to the cross of wood,

I too am nailed to the cross of life.

Death of and to self is my companion

Constantly for the rest of my days,

Purifying and renewing my soul,

With peace and love the new foundation.

 

The curtain of the Holiest of Holies

Has been split top to bottom each time

I am crucified and separated from self

To reveal the mysteries of God and Christ.

Renewed pain of self-sacrifice renews

And strengthens the need for dependence

On the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ,

Answering His call of "Trust in Me."

-----

               It is only important that I am. Any result of being who I am is but a reflection of who I used to be; the result of I was. What I am now I may not be a moment from now. What I was I am no longer.

-----

      What would I say that would mean anything if I had not first begun to live the very words I am speaking?

-----

      I cannot learn until I have lived. I do not learn as I live but because I have lived. How my step forward lands tells me how I have lived.

-----

                      From what place do I come? Where do I

                   travel to? My life seems to lack fancy

                   frills yet is filled with beauty untold.

                   Even by my words I fail to share a life

                   so diverse. No man of degrees am I but a

                   liver of life complete. My life is short,

                   my faults many, though I am perfectly who

                   I am.

All Writings are ãcopyrighted

Another Image from Moontear. The coloring on the original is better than the photo. It is not known why the color seem washed out.

The colors used are;

That is it for this week. May the good Lord Bless and Keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Life

Notice: to those who comment on my blog, I will attempt to comment in return but if your comments are set to embedded, not popup, I will not be able to do so. Please reset your Settings, Comments from embedded to popup. This is a problem many are having and they are also not able to comment. Check your blog spam folder to see if you are missing those who manage to comment. That is where I found a few comments, about 6, that google deemed as being spam. Google did some "helpful" reprogramming and messed things up royally again. Thank you for visiting and commenting.

I have often observed that, as the quote above states, popularity and the snares it brings are not a benefit but a trap. The need to be recognized is part of our nature for most of us. But the trap is that it makes us feel safe and empowered. The empowerment can easily become a snare that the Jewish religious leaders succumbed to in Jesus' day. Popularity does not hold any guarantees that you will be safe from your mistakes or even revered for your successes. Jesus performed many miracles in His time on earth. His life was not spared even though He gave proof of His being the messiah. He was crucified anyway. The heart of man is not devoted to the long term but to the here and now. Being popular is only good for this life not the next. It is one thing to be famous and have kudos thrown your way and to be a servant and be barely noticed. The servant takes solace in a job well done with an occasional appreciative "well done." Those who demand to be noticed are usually the same ones who desire popularity and think they are always right. Though you are popular it does not mean you are above everyone else. It is a sign that you love your life and it can cost you your life. (Matthew 10:39, 16:25-26, Mark 8:35-36, Luke 9:24-25, Luke 17:33, John 12:25)

This image is another downloaded image from "Supercoloring.com". They have some very nice images to color that anyone can have fun with. This image did not photograph well due to the lighting.

The Copic colors are;

That is it for this week. May the good Lord bless and keep you safe and healthy. Remember to always "Love The Details".